Sitebuilder Desktop Fix

We have some good news to share with our Sitebuilder Desktop customers! We found that the latest version was not compatible with the most recent updates, as a result we've made available a version that currently functions.

Even though the connection has been reestablished, we do highly recommended making a transition into Website Builder. The Desktop Software has not been updated for several years which means at any time this could possibly become an issue again. Any updates going forward will be focused on improving the new Website Builder experience for our customers.

Below are the instructions to obtain and install the working version assuming you are on Windows 7 or later:

Install/repair Microsoft J# 2.0

Using Windows control panel, uninstall Homestead Sitebuilder

Use Windows explorer to locate the folder c:\program files(x86) and delete the folder Homestead.

Locate the hidden folder c:\programdata. Inside the program data folder, rename the Homestead folder to Homesteadbackup.

Log into your Homestead account

Go to the Websites manager page

Click the Download Sitebuilder link under the edit site button.

Scroll to step 3 under the Troubleshooting section and click the indicated link

Save the program to your hard drive

Open your downloads folder and extract the files from the zip folder.

Run the program SiteBuilderSetup.exe

Log into desktop and select a site. Since you renamed the folder that contains the site files, desktop will download the published site. Then you can test publishing. I have not yet tried to rename the backup folder so this step is not necessary, so I advise you let Sitebuilder create the folder and download your sites.

Try to publish a change and let us know if it worked.

Responses

donna9710

10 Messages

•

770 Points

6 years ago

I saw this post from 4 days ago, is this a New Fix for us Desktop users or the same from years ago? I used Cloudflare to get secure and it is working, I got stats for 3 days showing about 40 visitors daily and now it shows only my own and someone in Canada. if it wasn't working I would imagine I would see no one? any thoughts on that. I have not tried this fix posted I wanted to ask you first if it were a new one? thank you for your help, it's greatly appreciated

michelle_c

7.6K Messages

•

106.7K Points

6 years ago

Hello Donna,

This is in fact the same fix from awhile back. I see you are using Sitebuilder plus and cloudflare I would recommend continuing using everything as is.

donna9710

10 Messages

•

770 Points

6 years ago

I'm not quite sure how you can see I'm on Sitebuilder Plus? not yet, I am using Desktop. when I used Cloudflare to secure my site your stats in Homestead worked for 3 days and now only I see Canada and myself as visitors when there are many other visitors. I have tried Google Analytic for tracking and though it is immensely detailed I find it is not an easy to understand system, it's so detailed that for some of us that need simple tracking like how many visitors and what they are looking at, I'd need to take a comprehensive course. Your real tracker system for stats was easy and just about the amount of stats anyone could understand and follow. would the post of 4 days ago telling about a new fix, would that take care of the problem without me uploading more than 50 pages of my small collector website to SB+. Please, can you see if someone in tech dept can try to get the tracking working for the desktop users. that would be greatly appreciated by many.
thanks Donna

harold8599

4 Messages

•

190 Points

5 years ago

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled HELP - Sitebuilder has quit working. It will not Start in Windows 10. - HELP.

paul5226

8 Messages

•

252 Points

I had this problem also. It was a Windows problem. I had a corrupted DLL file. While pulling my hair out and over a month of trying to figure it out, visiting numerous websites. I saw a posting about a corrupt DLL file. I bought a program ReImage, that repairs Windows (10). ran it and bingo! success. I've been back editing my website for over a month now without a hitch.

5 years ago

michelle_c

7.6K Messages

•

106.7K Points

Awesome, glad you were able to get this worked out.

5 years ago

virgilio9740

7 Messages

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200 Points

5 years ago

I followed the suggested steps and it WORKS GREAT... THANKS A LOT...

michelle_c

7.6K Messages

•

106.7K Points

Perfect! Glad to hear this worked out.

5 years ago

msl338

40 Messages

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686 Points

5 years ago

I followed the step-by-step and... SUCCESS!! I tried for three days... and FINALLY a solution. Endless thanks... JPZ

michelle_c

7.6K Messages

•

106.7K Points

Great to hear, glad you were able to get it running.

5 years ago

msl338

40 Messages

•

686 Points

I should mention that I use an old Dell tower running Windows Vista Home Premium for Sitebuilder. (I have an old Compaq laptop running Windows 7 for use as my Sitebuilder Plan B machine. I had been using Plan B for the past two days.)

5 years ago

michael8668

14 Messages

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704 Points

5 years ago

doesnt work

michelle_c

7.6K Messages

•

106.7K Points

What doesn't work? Have you also completed the steps in the other articles?

5 years ago

joe8960

3 Messages

•

90 Points

5 years ago

Since Homestead Sitebuilder can't be uninstalled since it isn't on my computer under programs (not under Homestead, not under Intuit, not under Sitebuilder); NEXT.

michelle_c

7.6K Messages

•

106.7K Points

Hello,

The pages and files can be uploaded to Sitebuilder plus from the file manager on the desktop builder. Go to the file manager, select the pages, and click upload. Then the site can be edited in Sitebuilder plus from any device by logging into Homestead.com and clicking edit site from the websites manager tab.

5 years ago

keith6759

20 Messages

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316 Points

4 years ago

After redesigning my site, I can't get any of my links to work. Will this fix repair it, and, will I be starting from scratch? I'm, also, unable to to rearrange the pages on my site.

elyzabethv

11.3K Messages

•

147.9K Points

Hello,

What links are you referring to?

4 years ago

keith6759

20 Messages

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316 Points

I have .mp3 files stored on Sitebuilder (File Manager), and, video files on YouTube. After I've added the links to them, and, try to access them later, I get an error message that the site can't be found.

4 years ago

elyzabethv

11.3K Messages

•

147.9K Points

Ok, what I mean is: I took a look at your site and don't see any links that aren't working. So, what links specifically are you having trouble with?

4 years ago

keith6759

20 Messages

•

316 Points

@elyzabethv

The links to video and audio files on my pages aren't working. It started 3 days ago, and, I've seen posts, from other people in the forum, that theirs stopped working at the same time, also.

4 years ago

elyzabethv

11.3K Messages

•

147.9K Points

I see those areas of text and I see no links attached to them, but when I tested in Sitebuilder Plus, I was able to add links to that text. If you're using Sitebuilder Desktop to edit your site, this may be the issue. That builder is very old and outdated and we no longer support it. I definitely recommend you try adding the links you need through Sitebuilder Plus.

In the other post that you commented on, that user realized it was actually his computer blocking him from opening the links and downloads, not a Homestead issue.

4 years ago

jerry6813

6 Messages

•

112 Points

3 years ago

I needed to load Sitebuilder Desktop on a new laptop. I had all the previous install files. I tried to use the above instructions but received 404 errors. I was able to install with the install files I had previously download a few years ago. Starts up and needs to update to current SiteBuilder version and fails when I launch. I can use the software but cannot publish. How do I now get the current version 2014-09-06 that still works on my old laptop? I have installed Microsoft J#2.0 as I have in the past due to window updates.

elyzabethv

11.3K Messages

•

147.9K Points

Hello,

Unfortunately, if these instructions aren't able to help you download the program, we don't have any other troubleshooting as we no longer support the builder program. This builder is old and outdated and doesn't work with a lot of updated operating systems.

3 years ago

jerry6813

6 Messages

•

112 Points

Ok thanks. I just thought it odd that the links provided in the fix are deadends - 404

Fortunately, for now, I will use my old laptop to update our website until we move to another website platform

3 years ago

elyzabethv

11.3K Messages

•

147.9K Points

What link is showing a 404?

3 years ago

jerry6813

6 Messages

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112 Points

@elyzabethv in step 8 above the and highlighted below - both the download and zip file give a 404

3 years ago

jerry6813

6 Messages

•

112 Points

this the link from my dashboard

https://www.homestead.com/~site/Scripts_SiteManager/SiteManager.dll?CMD=CMDDownloadPage

(edited)

3 years ago

nells250

15 Messages

•

486 Points

2 years ago

I just wish the PC based builder still worked with Windows 10... I can't properly update any of my sites with the online builder... only thing I can do is try to boot from my old Windows 7 drive, which I had to retire due to "issues", and work with the builder that way.

johan5852

10 Messages

•

312 Points

@nells250 I have the same experience - the online builder just doesn't meet the update needs of a site developed years ago using the desktop tool.

2 years ago

michael0762

10 Messages

•

190 Points

I have been using site builder to update my desktop web pages. There have been many featurres that were in the desktop site builder that have been eliminated from the site builder web site building program. I have never used the online web site building program. I heard it is not a very good web page builder. At least site builder can be used to update desktop web pages.

2 years ago

johan5852

10 Messages

•

312 Points

2 years ago

As the view of my site on mobile devices is now corrupt, I was told like many others that I would need to re-build the whole site using the new website builder, as opposed to the desktop tool.

As I have to re-build the site anyway, time to look for another service provider and to say goodbye to Homestead, after being a client for over 15 years. Why re-build using a platform that unilaterally decides to make all your previous work redundant, then asking you to "re-build" (as opposed to transport, for example), using another tool that does not have the same features? Might as well re-build using a more trustworthy service provider.

homestead_faq

Sitebuilder Desktop Fix

donna9710

michelle_c

donna9710

harold8599

paul5226

michelle_c

virgilio9740

michelle_c

msl338

michelle_c

msl338

michael8668

michelle_c

joe8960

michelle_c

keith6759

elyzabethv

keith6759

elyzabethv

keith6759

elyzabethv

jerry6813

elyzabethv

jerry6813

elyzabethv

jerry6813

jerry6813

nells250

johan5852

michael0762

johan5852

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